How Loud Are The Drums Of War?
by TheEndsongAbyssXV
Summary: Loving her was stronger than any wave; it knocked you to your fucking knees and you could never get up because the warmth, laughter and long nights held you down. Life was perfect. Except when you're in the middle of war, where a single second could rip all you knew and loved away from you. And Marco knew deep inside, that somehow it would. (Marco/OC) SEQUEL TO CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA.
1. Chapter 1

Three weeks. Twenty-one days. Five-hundred and four hours. Thirty-thousand two-hundred and forty minutes. One million eight-hundred and fourteen thousand, four-hundred seconds.

That's how long it had been since Marshall D. Teech had bolted from the ship and run off to God-knew-where. Ace was next, leaving only two days after, hell-bent on bringing the man back and serving justice in the best was he knew how: violently. Not that anyone had any complaints. Teech had almost killed one of their own; Thatch had just started being able to walk around after being stabbed twice with a knife. Fixing the wounds had been relatively easy, since Soleil had gone on a theft spree and taken a hospital's worth of high grade medical supplies that would last about a year, if no one got too injured to cause death, although they were prepared just in case.

Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate was livid, although most of his anger had been taken out on the sea; the man caused earthquakes so strong that (according to Soliel) they created deep cracks in the seafloor. The captain of the Moby Dick had spent most of his time communicating with allies to keep an eye out for any site or sound of Teech, who now went by the name "Blackbeard". Most of the crew had resumed their daily routines and went about business as usual, and simply waited for Ace to return or send a message.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him," Soliel's eyes were blazing with rage, and Marco shifted away from the 23-year-old. "Ooh, and I'll do it slow. I'll tie the bastard up first, maybe break some bones, blow his knees out so he can't walk. Then I'll scalp him, skin him. Douse him in alcohol and light him-"

"Soliel, relax." Marco's voice was quiet. "You're not the only one who wants to take him out. But we can't."

Soliel ran a hand through her shoulder-length copper-toned hair in anger. Champagne eyes narrowed and she sighed heavily. "I know, it's just-what-" her voice broke. "What are we gonna do if he manages to hurt Ace too?"

Marco blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Portgaz D. Ace had made a name for himself, and was strong, maybe one of the strongest pirates around, but he was still young, impulsive, and that was dangerous. Especially since was so pissed off that a man under his division had gone off the deep end.

Soliel looked at the phoenix, "I hate him."

Marco chuckled, "Clearly." He ruffled her hair, effectively messing up the flawless ringlets. He was fascinated by Soliel's hair, bright like fire and softer than silk.

Soliel gave an indignant cry of rage, "Oi! Stop it, pineapple head!" she ducked and swatted at him, but Marco was slightly faster and he caught her hand, dragging her against him and laughing.

"You know he'll get what coming to him. We can all take turns." He smirked then as he heard Fossa speak words of agreement. Izo joined, and pretty soon the galley was full of talk on how best to deal with Teech. Whitebeard was absent, and Soliel wondered where her father had vanished to. For the past few weeks, the man was rarely seen, just a glimpse here or there.

Soliel shivered and rubbed her arms. "So…what if someone…say…maybe…_helped_ Ace?"

Blenheim quirked an eyebrow, setting his tankard down. "Are you volunteering?"

Soliel's smile was slow, and just a little bit evil. "Mmmaaaaybeeee." She walked backwards, hands clasped behind her back before pivoting on her heel and racing out of the room, yelling for her father and demanding he show himself.

"That won't work!" Fossa called with a deep chuckle. "He's not here!"

"Where did he go?" Atmos asked in confusion. "I saw him about an hour ago."

Fossa gave a one-shoulder shrug; he had no idea where their captain had gone, but he knew that they weren't supposed to follow. They were docked in a small town called Foodvalten, one of the areas under the Whitebeard crew's protection. It had been almost a full four hours since Whitebeard had left, without a single clue as to where he'd gone.

"Maybe he's meeting someone."

…

Soliel gave up. She knew he father wasn't on board, and now that they were docked (for who knew how long), she was bored out of her mind. At least when Ace was here, she'd have someone to play with, usually instigating a fight and sparring with the fire starter before they got tired or she knocked him off the ship and into the ocean. She laughed out loud at the recollection of all the times over the years that she and Ace had fought each other. Her favorite memory was from a few years ago, when Ace had first joined the crew. He was a bit snarky, and confident, something Soliel didn't like. BAck then, when they were 18-years-old, Soliel was five-foot, two-inches and roughly one-hundred and ten pounds. Small, petite, and-

_"Weak?" her voice was soft, with an undertone of danger that the rest of the crew recognized immediately. Marco was shaking with laughter at the idea of the newcomer challenging the daughter of their captain. Portgaz D. Ace had _no _idea what he was up against. _

_Soliel crossed her arms, "I may be shorter, smaller, and not as strong as you, yeah," she stepped up to Ace, looking up at him with eyes that were lit with a fire that promised an ass-kicking. "But with all that, you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover." _

_Ace chuckled, watching as the Whitebeard crew began standing around the upper deck, watching in amusement. People had begun taking bets, and it was half and half so far, some thinking the new kid would win, others scoffing that he had no chance against their younger sister. _

_"Okay," he smirked, taking his hat off, "Why don't we find out?" _

_They charged at the same time, and ribbons of flame flickered here and there, probably in attempt to intimidate Soliel, but she evaded, ducking the rush of heat, leg sweeping low and making Ace stumble, but he rebounded quick, swinging a fist, but she ducked, only to barely miss taking a face full of fire as his other hand came at her. Silence throbbed around them as the crew watched eagerly as the two sparred. Ace was stronger, but Soliel was faster, and sometimes that was what mattered. _

_They aimed kicks, punches, and at one point, Ace tried to tackle Soliel, but she shifted to the side and slugged him in the temple, stunning the man for a second, but Ace managed to grab her hair and get the girl in a chokehold. The crew had started getting tense, this fight was getting a little hardcore, but Soliel was on it, digging her sharp nails into Ace's arms and tearing skin, causing him to loosen his hold and drop her. _

_Ace ignited himself then, aiming a roundhouse kick at his opponent, and Soliel took the hit, getting in close and before Ace knew what was happening, Soliel shifted onto her hands, ankles catching Ace's throat as she Judo-flipped him off the rail of the ship and laughed as he cursed. The resounding splash was music to her ears and she bowed, before spinning on her heel and diving off the ship to rescue the other teen. _

_After they'd been hauled out of the sea, Curiel had been amused, "Did you forget that the ocean if your enemy, boy?" He grabbed Soliel's chin and made her look up, eyeing the small, third-degree burn on her cheek. It needed to be taken care of, but the girl was too busy trying to get at Ace again. _

_"Oh, come on. That's all you got?" She was beaming, her smile positively glowing, and Whitebeard chuckled at his daughter, she was so much like him it was ridiculous. The crew cheered and others groaned as they handed out money to bet winners. Marco and Thatch were laughing the hardest, and they both came down to congratulate Soliel. _

She grinned, laughing at the memory, and wondering when Ace would come back because she wanted to do it again. That had been five years ago, and she was taller, weighed more. Ace was almost six feet, and Soliel was five-foot-six and roughly one-twenty pounds; swift as always and lithe as a damn panther. She wasn't curvy, or busty, she had slim hips and a narrow waist, with small firm breasts and a small, rounded bottom. She liked how she looked, and often found the other, more voluptuous population of women to be comical, all dressed up and painted with make up.

_I can't be like that, I have these clowns to look after_, she watched as Thatch walked slowly from the interior of the Moby Dick and into the sun. He was still wearing bandages around his torso, but Soliel was happy to see that they weren't stained for one. She too had a bandage on from one of the bullet wounds she'd received after invading the hospital to get supplies for Thatch, and there were still a line of stitches across her knuckles from punching a glass window to get inside. A chill swept through her and she frowned, rubbing her arms.

Thatch smiled and waved at her, "Sneaking off to write music or something?"

Soliel made a little _huh_ sound, she did have some stuff she'd been working on in her spare time. She was the self-proclaimed entertainer of the crew, and was often playing music and being goofy when everyone else was having a rough day, anything to make her siblings, father, and Marco to smile.

"Actually, yeah. That sounds like a good idea." she walked after the man, following him up towards the crow's nest, where, under a waterproof cloth, sat a ukulele, guitar, and pad of paper with a pencil. Soleil grinned, taking all three and sliding down to the deck, while Thatch took over above, warming himself in the sun.

After sitting on the very edge of the ship, feet dangling over the edge, Soliel began to write again, the sound of the song playing in her head as she hummed, hand moving fast over the page as she wrote. Every now and then she'd erase something and fix it. Snatching up the guitar, she adjusted the strings, strumming each chord out until she was satisfied that they were clear and steady. Eyes roaming the words, Soliel opened her mouth and began to sing.

…

There wasn't much the crew could do about Teech while Ace was searching for him, or while their captain was AWOL, so, like most pirates, they began drinking, being silly and gambling. Fossa was yelling at Brew and Izo for cheating and keeping cards hidden, and Blenheim yelled at everyone to get away from him while he was cooking. The sun had started to set, and the lights were on, candles lit, and Haruta was surprised no one from the village complained about all the noise.

"Ohmygod I can't take it anymore," she huffed and walked out, followed by Marco and Namur, both of whom decided it was too boisterous and crazy in the galley.

"They're like little kids!" Haruta admonished, "Yelling and being silly."

Namur looked up at the sky, where stars had started to appear, a shimmer here and there against the dusky red and purple sky. "We need that right now. I have a feeling something is about to happen, and this may be the last time we can all laugh and have fun for who knows how long." Haruta and Marco gave the shark-man a look; he was right. The trio walked around, talking about Teech, Ace, and all the things that had been going on for the past month.

"Shh, look!" Haruta pointed up ahead with a giant grin, and the other two turned to see Soliel, standing, walking back and forth, fingers moving over strings, singing at the top of lungs.

"She's so loud," Namur chuckled.

Marco nodded, "When she's not screwing around, her voice is good, though. When she's _not_ being obnoxious." Soliel had no idea that she was being watched, or didn't care, because she kept going.

_"I won't talk, I won't breathe, I won't move 'til you finally see, that you belong with me. You might think, I don't look, but deep inside the corners of my mind, I'm attached to you. Mmm, cause I'm afraid to know the answer. Do you see me too? Cause my heart keep falling faster. I've waited all my life, to cross this line to the only thing that's true. So I will not hide, it's time to try, anything to be with you. All my life, I've waited. This is true." _Her voice was clear as bell and just as sweet, but suddenly the tempo changed, and she started to sing something else.

"_Come, as you are, as you were, as I want you to be. As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy. Take your time, hurry up. The choice is yours, don't be late. Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memory." _Soliel's voice echoed out, husky, soft, and Marco noticed that a few people from the village had started walking along the docks, watching the woman with interest, and the phoenix had a sudden twinge of something that made him want to hide the redhead, especially as a few of the male viewers started to cheer and whistle at her. "_Come, doused in mud, soaked in bleach, as I want you to be. As a trend, as a friend, as an old…memory~ Ay, ay, ay, memory…" _

Her face lit up after she stopped, the cheering reaching her ears, and Soliel whirled around, but oh, that blush looked good on her, Marco thought. She grinned, waving at the small crowd and bowing before picking up her stuff and speed-walking away, eyes on the ground. Haruta was giggling, and Namur couldn't help but smile at the girl's embarrassed expression.

Marco was smirking too as they followed her back into the ship. He watched as she laughed with Haruta, her cheeks pink, eyes shining with amusement, and Marco sighed. Loving Soliel was stronger than any wave; it knocked you to your fucking knees and you could never get up, because all the warmth and laughter and long nights held you down.

But he was okay with that, and as their eyes met and she grinned at him, he did what any love struck idjit would do; he pulled her into his arms and kissed the ever-living shit out of her. A series of gasps and cheers followed, and Soliel responded with enthusiasm, arms wrapping around his neck, and jumping up to wrap her legs around his waist.

"What's going on in here?" There were a few snorts of laughter, and a few low "ooh"'s. Soliel was smiling, trying not to laugh, especially as Marco's eyes flared.

"Hi, daddy!"

…


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, dear viewers! I've been kinda blank on the OnePiece front…but after rereading the series thus far, I am back and rarin' to bring you awesomeness! This story will include the Paramount War, Impel Down, and end with the start of the 2-year time skip. I've already got an idea for another sequel (so this will be a trilogy I suppose), that will be post-time skip. But that depends on how well _this_ story goes. *sigh* I love Marco, he needs more page time!

I'm also thinking of adding a lemon to this. Because I really think Marco needs to get laid, and people have asked for it. Would y'all object to some Marco/Soliel action? Let me know. I can do light hints of it, or actually write out the sex but whatever you all want. And if I did write a sensual scene, what pace and mood should it have? I have _no_ idea how to write sex scenes at all, _whatsoever_.

I'm still thinking about what ability the Devil Fruit that Soliel found has, so if you've got any suggestions, throw it at me. Still can't decide whether it's a Zoan, Paramecia, or Logia either…

Much love, TheEndsongAbyssXV

X~X~X

There was a heartbeat of silence, and Soleil gave her father a smile; the kind she knew would melt his heart and get him wrapped around her finger. Everyone was watching the spectacle eagerly, and surprisingly, Marco didn't say or do anything. Just kept his arms the redhead.

"I knew it would happen sooner or later, and there's nothing I can do about it." his voice was oddly flat, and Soliel frowned slightly. She detached herself from Marco and walked after her father, who maneuvered through his crew and out of sight. As others followed her lead, she shook her head. This was something she felt that she had to find out about, and didn't want too many people asking questions and agitating their captain.

After a few steps, she got the gist that he didn't want to talk, because he was walking three strides ahead of her, and normally he'd walk just a step behind. It ate her; what had happened? Was Ace okay? Did something go wrong with looking for Blackbeard?

A tremor ran through her and her head swam. _I have a really bad feeling about all of this. _she thought, walking back to the others.

…

_Neither of them seem to notice. Which is a good thing, for now. But sooner or later, they'll have to recognize me, and then, maybe they'll allow me to help them. This isn't going to be easy…but with enough time…perhaps…_

…

Izo watched as the moonlight filtered though the sparse clouds that drifted through the night sky, bathing everything it touched in a soft pearly glow. He was feeling melancholy; the weight of almost losing Thatch, Teech's defection, and Ace running after him. The world seemed so calm, but the turmoil inside of his heart soured his mood. He thought of the past, back when time wasn't as confusing or dangerous as it was now. Their lives were on the verge of life and death it seemed, and it would only take an instant to tilt them over the edge.

Most of the crew had left the ship for some time to be by themselves. Haruta had holed up in her room, Blenheim, Fossa, and Kingdew were off in the town somewhere, probably having a drink. Thatch was walking about the ship, having recovered enough to move freely (though he was still required to take it easy).

Izo took a sip of the ale bottle in his hand and sighed heavily as feathery clouds drifted across the night sky, obscuring the moon and darkening the world even further.

…

Soliel watched as Marco rose higher and higher into the sky until he was just a glowing blur. He'd been flying around, trying to pull off acrobatic moves and trying to see how fast and far he could go before he got tired and needed to land. He was doing well, his moves swift and precise, like he'd been doing it his entire life instead of just a few years.

So far, he'd been airborne for seventeen minutes.

Soliel walked along the edge of the ship and stood on the edge, just staring into the cobalt abyss that was the ocean. Her head was a jumble of thoughts that she couldn't quite sort into categories, and as she watched the churning waves, she threw herself into the maelstrom of memories that rushed her mind. Memories of brothers. Her sister. Her father. Marco.

_It was getting dark, and Soliel knew that her father locked the ship as soon as the sun set, so she didn't have much time left. But damn it, this was __**important! **__She'd been busy all day, helping the crew with mundane tasks that most eight-year-olds would find tedious, but she found amusing. The guys would talk to her, tell her stories as they all cleaned. Once every four months the ship was given a deep clean from top to bottom, and Whitebeard had decided that she was big enough to help. Most of the work involved heavy lifting and could be dangerous for such a small child but Soliel knew how to scrub, sweep and dust. _

_Her hands were still sore from all the work, and she had bloody scrapes on her knees from being on her hands and knees, scrubbing the wooden floors. But she had a sudden burst of energy and ran off the dock and into the city they were at. The crew had been challenged to a fight by a local pirate group (who obviously had _**no**___idea who they were up against!)and after winning, had decided to keep an eye out in case the idiots came back for round 2. _

_Soliel looked around the different shops that lined the road, and made sure no one was watching her. She didn't want to get kidnapped, so she made sure she was alone before venturing further. There was a butcher, a few clothing stores, and random stalls with different bartering themes. The eight-year-old looked up and down the street before speed-walking to the left. _

_The sign on the door said it was open, and the lights were on, but no one was in the shop except the man behind the counter. As she opened the door, a little bell chimed and Soliel peeked in. _

_"Can I help you?" the man asked with a kind smile. Soliel shook her head. She knew what she was after. The man told her to take her time and come to him if she had any questions. _

_She walked over to the table nearest the cashier and picked up the pad of paper and pencil. After nearly fifteen minutes of severe concentration (for an eight-year-old), she presented the slip to the man. "I'd like this, please." _

_The man gave her a once-over and stared at her face. Soliel's eyes blazed, and the expression on her face told the man that she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. As his gaze grew uncertain, Soliel gave a small huff of annoyance and reached into her pocket. _

_"I'll pay double what it costs." she placed a small coin pouch on the counter and the man's eyebrows shot upwards. He took the coins and chuckled._

_"Whatever you say, sweetheart." _

_Nearly forty-five minutes had passed, and Soliel had mere minutes before she was found out. As she made her way back to the ship, she caught sight of Fossa and Haruta walking the same path, carrying boxes of food. The girl knew that if others were out, she had time. She ran, harder than ever, her lungs burning, her legs aching sharply. Once she reached the docks, she rubbed the sweat from her face and finger-combed her hair, pretending to stand waiting for her family. _

_Fossa patted her head as he walked by, and Soliel grinned as they all went inside the ship together. Some of the crew milled about while others rushed around like maniacs. After all the mayhem had died down, Izo killed the lights, and Soliel grabbed Fossa's hand. She was afraid of the dark. Terrified, rather. The man crouched down to her level and grinned. _

_The door banged open, and the lights came to life, everyone screaming "Happy birthday, Pops!" (Soliel yelled 'Daddy!') as Whitebeard walked into the room. A banner was hung across the ceiling that read "HAPPY 57TH BIRTHDAY". _

_Whitebeard gave his family a level stare, and Haruta bit her lower lip to avoid laughing at the disgruntled expression on the older pirate's face. The man never really like dpresents, so the crew simply gathered good food to celebrate. _

_"I have a surprise!" Soliel yelled as the crew feasted. The girl stood on her chair (Kingdew had to steady her). She pulled her sleeve up to her elbow. On her right wrist was the Jolly Roger of the Whitebeard Pirates. Her skin was still red and puffy from the tattoo, and there were various responses from the members. _

_"Is she crazy?" _

_"Soliel, you're __**way**__ too young for a tattoo!" _

_"Oh leave her alone! You got your tattoo at her age!" _

_Soliel looked at her father, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "But-" she looked ready to cry. "I just wanted to…" _

_Edward took his daughter's hand and pulled her across the table. He examined the tattoo carefully and after a few heartbeats he chuckled, and soon the chuckle turned into laughter. "You really are my daughter, aren't you?" _

_Soliel's smile was as bright as her eyes. _

…

_Soliel was mad. That much was obvious. _

_The seventeen-year-old stormed across the deck, and Thatch, Marco and Izo backed away from the irate female. Her father was talking to Brew and Vista, who gave the girl a concerned look as she got closer. _

_"What's wrong, pup?" her father asked. Soliel looked positively livid, and she crossed her arms. _

_"I need to borrow your halberd." _

_Whitebeard's eyebrows crashed down, "Excuse me?" _

_"Because of reasons, damn it old man, give it to me!" When her father didn't respond, Soliel snarled, "My ego is banked on this, so give me the damn thing!" _

_Marco chuckled, "How about you use your words?" _

_"How 'bout I punch you 'til you cry?" the girl seethed. "Fine. I'll use something else then." She vanished into the ship. _

_"Pops, is it really a good idea to let her run around town with a weapon?" Vista gave a half-hearted laugh. "Her aim isn't the best when it comes to blunt weapons. Melee, she's great at. Long range, not so much." _

_"She's not a kid anymore," Haruta defended. "She'll be fine." _

_Soliel came back out, and Brew's eyes bugged as he saw the glass war axe he'd found draped over the girl's shoulder. _

_"Little sister, I really must protest-"_

_Soliel shook her head. "No. This is __**my**_ _fight, and I'm winning it. I tried using my words, but apparently, these bastards need physical reprimands." _

_The crew watched her go, and a few argued that she needed to be looked after, but Whitebeard agreed with Soliel. This was her fight, and she'd have to handle it on her own. Izo and Marco exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that if she wasn't back in an hour they'd go looking for her. Whether Pops wanted them to or not. _

_Time passed, and night turned to day. the crew went about it's business, but a few of the members were concerned about Soliel. It was nearing three hours, and Izo was thinking of doing a once-around the town to see if he would run into her. _

_From upstairs, Thatch's laughter could be heard, followed by Fossa's booming voice: "__**What have you done to yourself?!" **_

_MArco and Izo raced topside and noticed other people had gathered in the main foyer of the entrance to the ship. Soliel was standing there, shirt torn, one shoe gone, hair in dissary, and blood steadily dripped from her busted lip as well as her nose, but she either hadn't noticed or didn't care. _

_"I won." She said with a shit-eating grin. The glass battle axe was covered in dirt and streaked with blood, like her clothes. "Pretty sure I broke a few fingers, maybe my whole hand, but watching those guys scream for mercy was __**so**__ worth it." _

_Brew took the weapon and pegged the teen with a glare, "You little shit. I was going to sell this." Suddenly he smirked, "How's it cut?"_

_Soliel smiled, "Like a hot knife through butter." She winced. There were scratched and bruises on her arms and face, and it looked like maybe someone had tried to choke her because there was a dark ring around her throat. She looked up as her father appeared and he gave a once-over. _

_"Have fun?" _

_Soliel smiled, her copper ringlets a tangled mess around her face. "Yeah, actually. Took two out, the third ran off. But one of them was really…scrawny, so he didn't really count." _

_"What did they do to piss you off?" Marco asked. _

_Soliel wiped blood from her face with the wet rag Blenheim handed her. "Wanted to challenge dad to a fight. Says he's old and feeble. I said that as a member of the crew, they'd have to fight me first." _

_Whitebeard sighed a little. His kids were going to be the death of him, one way or another. _

…

OKAY!

SO. THE DEVIL FRUIT.

It's either gonna be a paramecia, logia or zoan type. Y'all decide. Shit, add what specific ability you want the fruit to possess. I'll do a random pick later this week and figure out whether or not to use it. =_=U I'm so tired. UGH. Carpal tunnel's comin' back and my wrist is **killing** me, yo.

Read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: H'okay! So, my cousin and I have been reading these smutty stories that she bought at a thrift store, and they're hilarious, but I really kinda want to make a lemon for this story, so this chapter may or may not contain lime-y tones. I have written out some naughty things, one-shot length, so if anyone wants to proof-read, PM me and I'll send it to you. I wanna know if it's worthy of being posted.)

(Also, since Marco is a phoenix, and they are associating with fire, I am assuming Marco can manipulate the element, to a degree. If I'm wrong, please tell me.)

X~X~X~X~X

Soliel blinked rapidly as a thin beam of sunlight filtered through the door. She'd fallen asleep on the stairs under the trap door entrance to the ship. Most of the crew were snoozing as well, even though it was the late afternoon; they'd all been up for nearly two days, formulating plans of action for finding and apprehending Blackbeard. Soliel groaned in frustration, her nails digging into the soft skin on her side, scratching at the line of stitches there; with a huff of annoyance she began rolling her shoulders and craning her neck. She'd slept maybe two hours, and she was irritated. All the drama about Ace was driving her crazy, because half of her wanted to chase after the man, while the other wanted to go directly after Teech himself.

_I hope he gets eaten by a giant crab. _she thought, closing her eyes again and sighing.

…

Marco watched as Vista's body slumped to the side and fell off the barstool and against Blenheim, who snorted in his sleep. There were people sleeping here and there, in random places and positions as though their bodies had just conked out in an instant while others had actually made the journey to their rooms.

He was not one of them.

Marco and the others had spent most of the day sparring and working out, and he was exhausted. Especially after Whitebeard had joined and thrown them around like rag dolls. Haruta and Izo had gone on a rampage and took on Vista, while Soliel and Rakuyo threw down with the hand-to-hand while everyone else decided to take on Pops. It was fun, but once everyone started to realize _why_ they were sparring, the fights became more intense and pretty soon everyone was beating the shit out of each other; not to hurt but to ensure they could keep up with potential foes of various strength and size.

Marco replayed the matches in his head, and all the techniques people had used. Vista and Brew were skilled with a sword, while Izo and Haruta were pretty damn good at gun slinging. Soliel was a little whirlwind with quick physical attacks (especially when going to weak spots while feinting), and of course, their captain was the scariest bastard ever when it came to raw physical prowess.

Marco yawned and stood up from his position on the floor and moved away from the wall, his back and arms stiff from sitting for so long. He stretched and quietly maneuvered his way around his companions, careful not to wake any of them. Hardly anyone had gotten any sleep in the past month, so it was good that everyone got at least a couple of hours to recover from both mental and physical stress.

Brew's body blocked one of the doors almost completely and Marco had to very carefully step over the other man, which was hard to do when Fossa was just a few feet on the other side and both men topped him by about three feet and a hundred and thirty pounds.

Most of the hallway was empty except for a weapon here or there, and a small tower of ale bottles that Jozu had been constructing. Marco turned a corner behind the galley and kept walking through the silent ship. The only sounds he heard were the snores of others, and the dim ringing of a harbor bell. It was three in the afternoon. Marco stumbled suddenly and cringed as he caught sight of Whitebeard's halberd. The weapon threatened to fall and Marco let out a muted curse as he grappled the object back against the wall.

The laugh made him jump.

"Clumsy, aren't we?" Soliel teased.

Marco immediately frowned at the woman. She was rubbing furiously at her ribcage, and he saw streaks of blood on the fabric of her shirt. "You tore the stitches."

Soliel blinked. "What?" she looked down at herself and gave a surprised little sound, like she hadn't even noticed. "Izo's a shitty seamstress." The skin surrounding the black thread was red and inflamed, and though the gash wasn't that big of a deal, she figured she'd probably gotten infected from the kitchen knife that Blamenco had aimed her way while they were wrestling. She managed to deflect it but had gotten clumsy and got nicked on the swing back.

With a shrug she dropped her shirt and stared at the blond in front of her, "Not tired?"

Marco wasn't listening, he was staring at the thick scar around her throat and shoulder, the one that trailed across her body from her right shoulder to the left side of her pelvis and was as thick as his wrist. Everyone in the crew had scars on them, but hers was the most prominent and noticeable. The one that had almost killed her.

Three years doesn't seem like that long, but she had been so much smaller then. Marco stared at the scar, totally oblivious to Soliel calling his name. He thought back to that fight, the one that had been so easy, until a simple misstep almost caused them all to be caught by the Navy, and wind up with Soliel dead.

_"D'you think we'll get back in time? Pops has us on a curfew, ya know!" Ace called with a chuckle. _

_"If you shut up and run we will!" Soliel yelled back, dodging trees and vaulting over bushes. _

_Marco, Ace and Soliel had been sent into town to gather supplies while the "adults" of the ship talked. However, this town wasn't fond of pirates, and hadn't been willing to barter with them, so the trio made their way back to the ship empty handed. Not that it mattered, they were fine on food and medical equipment, but it was always a good idea to have extra in case of emergency. _

_Ace had challenged Soliel to a race, which she agreed to, and they had run around the town four times, the length of a mile in all. Ace of course, had longer legs and was able to get ahead of the other pirate, but Soliel was lunging over rocks and the low cobblestone wall that surrounded the seaside town. She was fast for her size, and it irritated Ace. Marco merely walked, looking down the hill and into the town, where people milled about in the early evening. Thy sky was a dusky red with cool slashes of purple and indigo at the edges and stars were sprinkled here and there. But it was getting cold, and Marco issued a cloud of steam as he exhaled. _

_"Whoa-!" Ace stumbled on a loose tree root and skidded to a stop which caused Soliel to do the same with a laugh. _

_"Tired, Fire Fist?" she teased. She was sweating a little, but hardly seemed out of breath, and Ace was breathing evenly too. "Or do you concede defeat?" _

_Ace's mouth turned into a smirk, "Hell no!" he leaned down in a sprinter's position, but suddenly straightened, and Marco frowned. There was a flash of light from the forest and a woman's scream. _

_Soliel hesitated, it was best they didn't get involved, but suddenly the cry of a young child rose into the air and she was gone, all but sprinting into the tree line, Marco and Ace calling after her. The two men followed, slightly alarmed as male laughter echoed the screams, and suddenly a woman burst through the trees, clutching a young boy, bruises on her arms and face. _

_"Soliel?" Ace called out. _

_Marco's voice was louder, "Soliel!" _

_The gunshot made them freeze. _

_Ace bolted, but Marco was faster, and within seconds, the duo ran through the thick trees and into a small path that was inhabited with a bandit caravan. Before they were spotted, Marco was pulled back, and he grabbed Ace's arm, turning to see Soliel who was crouched down behind a cluster of thick bushes. _

_"I threw a huge rock over at them and they shot at it, thinking it was an animal or something, and the woman took off," she said quietly, "They're not just normal bandits, they're weapon traffickers." _

_Ace looked over at the two ox-carts and saw that they were filled with crates that held everything from knifes, to guns, to war axes. Staves and whips, just about every weapon you could think of was packed into the carts, and the seven men who surrounded them were discussing prices and potential buyers. Marco tried to pull his companions away, but Soliel had a blazing, defiant look on her face, and Ace looked annoyed as well. _

_"Can we go now?" _

_Soliel shook her head, "No. They need to be taught a lesson." _

_Ace's smirk was just a little bit evil, "Assault is a crime. An they don't know that we're pirates. We could just pose as wanderers and, you know…" _

_Soliel's voice was hard. "They almost killed that woman, beating on her like that. And the little one was screaming, begging them to stop." _

Ah._ So _that's_ what it was, Marco thought. The boy had almost lost his mother, and would probably have been orphaned, since most of this town's people were in the military and were either dead or away for too long. The child would be alone without a mother, and though Soliel had a family, she knew what it was like to grow up without a woman around. It was kind of personal to her. _

_He sighed heavily, "Can you make it quick? We have to go." _

_The smile Soliel sent him caused his face to heat slightly, but it was too dark to tell he was flushed. Ace had already started to creep along the foliage and out onto the road. Soliel was next, and Marco stayed close, he and Ace keeping the woman in the middle in case the ruffians went for her first. Not that she couldn't handle herself, but Marco didn't want to risk anything happening to her; one, because she was Whitebeard's daughter and the man would raise hell, and two because-_

_He looked at the copper-haired 20-year-old, her eyes lit with something that almost made them glow in the fading sunlight. She was trying to appear neutral, and struck up a conversation with Ace on whether the two of them should start a battle royal back at the ship, start a betting pool and see who wins. _

_They had gotten a little loud, because suddenly a man was yelling at them. "Hey! Who the hell are you?" _

_Ace feigned shock, "Damn! I didn't realize we'd walked so far! We gotta get back home before Pops finds out we're gone!" _

_Soliel's eyes flared, "Oh, crap!" _

_Marco wanted to mentally slap his friends, because this situation was anything but amusing. He really wanted to go home, not indulge them in a fight, even if it was for a good reason. They didn't need to draw attention to themselves! Especially if any of them bandits had a devil fruit power. _

_Annnnnd now the guy had a knife. Wonderful. That's exactly what they didn't need. Soliel was trying to hard not to smile as she slipped behind Ace like she were hiding. Marco caught sight of two of them leering at her and frowned. Oh, no, this was not going to be a fun, quick throw down. Someone was going to get hurt. _

_"Send the little one over here and we'll forgive you for trespassing." _

_"Nah, we'll just be on our way." Ace said with a cheery little wave. He grabbed Soliel's shoulders and guided her down the path but Marco suddenly shoved him as a bullet was fired. _

_"That wasn't a request, boy." the man was shorter than Ace and Marco, and fat, but he knew how to use the pistol he was holding. "But since my men haven't had a good fight in a while, we're just going to have to kill you." _

_The other six men (one of whom was easily six and a half feet tall) launched into action, pulling out swords, guns and one was wielding a really nasty looking halberd. Marco blanched when he caught sight of the two gunmen; they were Naval officers! Low rank, but still, this was going to cause all kinds of trouble if they didn't take them all down. _

_Ace cursed as two men came at him with blades, and Soliel pivoted away and ran for the carts, thinking maybe she could grab a weapon since everyone was so much bigger than she was and probably wouldn't last in a physical fight for too long. Marco was up against two guys, as was Ace, and two more were circling them. _

_But damn, they were good. _

_Ace was clearly enjoying himself as he dodged a couple of sword thrusts, and retaliated with a blow to the guy's jaw that easily loosened some teeth, if it didn't actually break the jaw. And Marco was going hand to hand with one of the gunmen, trying to get the weapon away from his assailant, and Soliel winced as a shot rang out. _

_Marco had one of the guys in a headlock suddenly, because he'd gone at Ace with a knife aimed right for the fire starter's ribs, and was either about to snap his neck or choke him out. Ace laughed, pulling off an impressive barrage of punches to the man in front of him, but slammed into the ground as a length of chain caught him in the face. _

Where'd the leader go…?_ Soliel wondered. She was crouched low to the ground, and her eyes locked onto a small black metal box. It was opened, and she saw three pairs of handcuffs, two normal steel pairs, and a set of kairoseki handcuffs. She snatched all three pairs and shoved them into the satchel she had on her back. She assumed the bullets were made of the same substance, and she bit her lip, debating on whether to call out to warn Ace and Marco-_

_She gave a sharp gasp as she was dragged back by her ankle and lifted into the air. The giant, the one who'd had the halberd, lifted her up with a gloved hand and sneered. _

_"Back off!" he roared, and everyone looked at him. _

_Marco and Ace frowned severely, and the former dropped his captive while Ace stood and glared at the man who'd grabbed Soliel. She was upright, and he had a knife against her throat. Any fear she felt wasn't showing as she openly snarled at the man, flailing in his grasp. A wave of heat filled the forest, and sweat bloomed over Soliel, her eyes shooting to Ace and Marco, both of whom had sparks of flame surrounding them, and the blurred air behind the blond slowly started forming wings. _

_They looked dangerous. _

_The point of the dagger bit into her neck and the man laughed, "Ah, ah, ah. I didn't know you had powers, but now that I do, I'm not going to kill you, oh no. I'm going to take you to an auction and sell you." he looked at Soliel, "Might keep this one for myself though." _

_The heat intensified, and the bandits gave hollers of pain as their metallic weapons began to turn white-hot. The thin fabric roofs of the carts warped, and Soliel saw that the nearby trees had started to crackle, and the sand around Ace and Marco's feet had started to crystallize into glass. _

_"Rail! Get the cuffs and lock them in the cage." her captive ordered, and the squat man from before snickered as he walked towards the cart nearest them. Soliel noticed that all the metal weapons in the carts had started to shimmer faintly, the way the ground does on a hot day, and she frowned. _

She had the handcuffs.

_Without thinking, she went limp, dropping all her weight, and the man holding her dropped his knife as he tried to lift her back up. Marco and Ace sprung into action then, sending balls of flame and roasting their nearest attackers, which made the rest of the bandits scatter. _

_The leader had gotten mad then, demanding they all come back and fight, but when Ace closed in on him, he took off as well, and the freckled man laughed. One of the gunmen, and a well-muscled man with a pair of spiked brass knuckles remained, and Soliel tried to desperately scramble away from the guy who'd grabbed her, but he jerked her up by her hair, causing her to cry out in pain, which turned into a blood-curdling shriek as he held her against his armored chest with one of the heated staffs from the cart. _

_"Now, put the fucking handcuffs on or I kill her while you watch." the man hissed, using his other hand to hold the knife back against Soliel's carotid artery. _

_Marco felt ice cold terror flood his veins as Soliel screamed in pain, the white-hot stave burning through her flimsy shirt and waistline of her pants into her skin. She was sobbing, tears falling down her face and her breath ragged. The moment his name left Soliel's mouth in a tone of voice that broke his heart, Marco's vision tunneled on the man holding her captive. _

_And that was it. _

_Ace willed his body to flame and materialized behind the massive bandit, aiming a well aimed, fire engulfed punch to his kidney's and the man groaned, his grip loosening, and Soliel fell to the ground with a gasp, the staff rolling away. Marco grabbed her and pulled her back, intending to help Ace, but the raven haired man was a force to be reckoned with, beating the ever living shit out of the guy. _

_Soliel's voice cracked and Marco turned the girl in his arms. All at once, the air vanished from his lungs and he could only stare at the three inch gash in his throat. Blood dribbled from the wound and when she turned, shot in an arterial spray that colored his chest and shirt. _Oh god, oh god, oh god-!

_"ACE!" Marco tried to close his hand over the wound, but blood leaked through his fingers, and Soliel's eyes fluttered shut for a second before shooting open in alarm. Ace sprinted over to them, and cursed violently. The staff had been against her skin for so long, and so hard that it had left a thick third-degree burn from her shoulder to her pelvis, and the tears kept coming. Ace knew it hurt. _

_"Marco, you've got to-"_

_"I _can't!_"_

_"The fuck you can't! I've seen you reset bones when Curiel wasn't around!" _

_Marco slowed his breathing. Soliel was going to-_no_. He wasn't going there even in the hypothetical sense. _

_"Marco, she's going into shock!" he tore Marco's shirt in half, from the neckline down and wound the fabric into a tourniquet, "Are you going to heal her or do we run her to the ship?"_

_Marco slowed his breathing and let Ace take his place, hands going over Soliel's neck and letting the fabric bunch against the injury. Her eyes were half-open, her mouth moving soundlessly, and Marco blinked away a sudden sheen of tears. Shit, this was bad, especially if he couldn't-_

_"Mar-co-" her voice was barely above a whisper, and Marco's jaw tightened as he willed flames to his hand. _

_The process was slow, and he made sure that the nick in her carotid artery had been healed first before working on the actual cut. It was deep, and he assumed that when Ace had struck the other man, the surprise had made him push the dagger up into her neck before he dropped her. Her vocal cords were untouched, and Ace had to carefully pull the remains of her shirt off to get to the burns. _

_It was something Marco would never unsee. _

_The skin was black with angry slashes of red, where the muscle had been completely destroyed, but luckily hadn't burned too far down, or else it would have gone through the skin, muscle, fat, and to her organs, which he wouldn't have been able to fix and they would have lost her. _

_Which, knowing her father, would have ended with their deaths as well. _

_"Stay with me, Soliel," he said, trying her keep her focus so she didn't pass out. Ace was talking to her too, and trying to pick out small bits of fabric that had adhered to her skin. _

_"It's going to scar," Marco finally said, after nearly an hour. The wounds were closed up, but Soliel was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, as were the two of them, and now she was out cold. But at least she was alive. "She'll have them for the rest of her life." _

_Ace walked over to one of the carts, and sifted through various boxes until he returned with a thin, dark sheet. They carefully wrapped her in it, and Marco lifted her into his arms so they could head back. Ace had managed to haul one of the carts back with them, and was grateful that everything had ended well. It could have been better, of course, but at least they were all alive. _

The verbal beat down they got upon their return still gave them nightmares.

…

Marco snapped to attention as Soliel's hand gently came into contact with the side of his head, "Marco? Are you okay, you're kind of scaring me."

"What?" he took a deep breath, "No, it's alright, I was just thinking." It was really dark up here, save for that tiny beam of sun from the door, and he wondered how long it would be until the others started to wake up.

Without warning, Soliel kissed him, laughing at the sound of shock he made. But then he responded, pulling her closer and setting her on a barrel as he deepened the kiss. Her hands made their way into his hair, and a shiver of lust went through him, which caused him to pull away. Her little growl of annoyance almost made him laugh, but as she pulled him back and sealed her mouth against his, he wondered how long this would go before they gave in. He pressed feather-light kissed against the scar on the side of her throat, left a mark against her shoulder, and her hands were gripping his shirt where he thought her nails would tear it.

"Damn it," she cursed. She was breathless, tired, and turned on. A little sound escaped her as Marco's mouth went back up her neck and she pulled him closer, hooking her ankle behind his leg. "I want you." He made a little noise that could have been anything from _okay _to _then take off your clothes and we'll take turns being on top_.

She brushed her lips against his once, twice, a third time. And the second their eyes met, he was lost. As she control of the kiss, Marco caved in with a groan of surrender.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, viewers! I know there are hundreds of people who read this story, and this time, I REALLY need a review for this chapter. Seriously, my ego is banked on this. It's my first lemon and I really, _really_ want to know how it was, so you can take seven or ten seconds to let me know whether it was shitty or not, okay? Y'all don't seem to like this one as much as the prequel. I also have no idea what I'm doing, but kinda using what little knowledge I have of sex from reading and hopefully this turns into something good. *hides face and blushes*

Without further ado, I present the turning point of Marco and Soliel's relationship. Hope ya enjoy!

-TheEndsongAbyssXV

…

Marco had no idea what he was doing.

None.

At all.

What. So. Ever.

And clearly neither did Soliel.

But luckily instincts took over and all they had to think about was how fast they could get their clothes off. Soliel's pretty little shirt was ruined, Marco having grabbed it and ripped it right down the middle, sending buttons flying in every direction. Soliel's hands were in his hair, kissing, nipping, her mouth ghosting over his skin. A small part of him was concerned that someone would wake up and find them like this, but those thoughts were dashed away as he looked into Soliel's eyes. They were brighter than ever, warm like sunshine as her red-gold hair fell down to frame her face, he kissed her again.

He pulled her closer, mindful of the stitches that ran across her flank, and lifted her into his arms, walking around as carefully as he could until they reached an empty hallway full of storage rooms, the medical bay, and plenty of space to hide.

If they got that far.

Soliel's hand shot down to his pants and he groaned into her mouth, unconsciously grinding into her palm. Soliel smirked in triumph but gasped as she was suddenly pressed into the wall, and once again their mouth were together, his hands pulling her shirt off of her arms and tossing the article of clothing like it had offended him. Abruptly Marco stopped, and looked up as footsteps echoed above them. They were light, so he assumed it was either Haruta or Izo walking around, but _still_…it wouldn't be good for them to get caught doing this.

_Maybe we should stop_ He thought, and only realized he'd spoken out loud when he caught sight of Soliel's face. She looked half annoyed, half incredulous, all _are-you-fucking-kidding-me_?

"Who cares if someone's awake, it's not like the others haven't done this on the ship before," she said. Abruptly her hand drifted down his exposed torso and played with the sash that acted as a belt on his pants. She loosened it, but he grabbed her wrist, pinning her back to the floor. Carefully sitting up and keeping her pinned with his legs, he pulled his shirt off, the vest flying to the other side of the hallway and Soliel shifted up suddenly, sliding out from under him and forcing him back as she pressed kisses and small bites to his stomach. The woman was on a mission and Marco bit back a groan as her hand found his cock, just barely stroking him. Teasing. she tightened her grip, coaxing a low groan from the blond. Their eyes met for a second and there was this…_gleam_ in her eyes that made him nervous but before he could voice his concerns-

"Soliel, wh-_fuck_!" he's said that a little louder than he meant to, but damn it all!

Her mouth was warm, wet and wiped all coherent thought from his mind. His hips shifted of their own accord and Soliel chuckled, the vibrations sending sparks through his pelvis and his hand tugged at her head to pull her away. The devilish smile on her face was absolutely uncalled for. He didn't know it, but Soliel fantasized about him more often than she'd like to admit. And she had plans.

"You think it's funny, do you?" Soliel bit her lip and smiled at him through her lashes, her eyes capturing him as though she'd taken his face in her hands. His lips finds hers again, slow, warm, and her mouth opens, allowing him to dominate the kiss. She had no desire to resist, had no plans to, either.

"Off," he said, tugging at the waistband of her pants. As she shimmies out her bottoms, he took in all the marks on her skin; scars, stitches, small bruises from roughhousing with the others. But she wore them like badges of pride.

Their kisses are aggressive now, hands wandering. Her back is cold against the floor, nails digging into the wood as Marco's mouth leaves marks along her neck and shoulder and suddenly she can't see, can't breathe because while one of his hands keeps him propped up, the other one slowly tracing the line of her waist, her hips, and shifts her legs. A desperate noise leaves Soliel and he nuzzles her throat as his hands fins the juncture of her thighs.

Her hips rock upward at the sensation, and she struggles at first, but the discomfort morphs into something else completely and as Marco fastens his mouth to hers, he fingers weave into his hair, moaning, silently begging for more. He complied, quickly finding that she liked it slow, but all too soon his fingers were gone and Marco shifts his body to cover hers. His eyes are darker, glazed, and Soliel realizes he wants it just as much as her. She nips teasingly at his lower lip before taking over the kiss, and she shifts her legs again as his cock brushes against her and she looks up; the moment their eyes meet, he moves, entering her in one smooth, fluid movement that made Soliel hiss, but she welcomed the invasion, and Marco murmured to her before withdrawing. Soliel was put off for a second before he thrusts back in, setting a deep, steady rhythm and its maddening, the feel of him as his body slides against hers, in her. She relished the feel of his skin, and she ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders, holding on. His muscles contract, tight and hard beneath her hands.

His name leaves her and she gasps, covering her mouth as moans threaten to increase in volume and frequency. He reverses their position and Soliel is on it, rolling her hips, nails scoring his skin as he guides her, and the world is gone; it's just them, and a noise leaves Marco, his mouth finding hers, her arms around his neck. He's on top again, thrusting slow, deeper, and Soliel makes a sound between a moan and a curse, and he repeats the action, thrusting in hard but withdrawing with an agonizingly slow shift of his hips.

"God _damn_ it-Marco-" she buried her face against his neck, nipping, kissing, nails digging into his skin, and he has no doubt he'll have the marks for a while. Not that he minded.

In the span of a heartbeat, something changed. Soliel suddenly remembered why she hadn't acted on this impulse before: Ace. The horrors that Teech had inflicted on her family, her friends. Marco noticed the change and looked at her, copper curls dam with sweat and sticking to her head and neck. She looked lost. He knew what she was thinking about. He had too. Why should they be enjoying this when their loved ones were suffering? But…

"Don't think about it. About anything," he rolled his hips against her,; that hot, delicious friction sending sparks of pleasure through them both. Her nails dug into his shoulder hard enough to hurt but he liked the small bite of pain. The tempo changed, his thrusts faster, harder, and Soliel bit down on her lip to keep from screaming.

Her orgasm arrived on a wave of heat that shattered her senses and sent fire rushing through her veins until it left her breathless and his name left her mouth on an erotic sound that became his undoing. Marco moaned into the brutal kiss she initiated and then it was silent. Neither of them moved, said a word, but he could hear her heart pounding, felt it against his chest.

The kiss he presses to her lips is soft, gentle, and he chuckles. "We're allowed to be selfish for once,"

"I feel guilty." Soliel took a deep breath.

Marco's eyes shone with something that vaguely reminded Soliel of a predator. She had no time to react before she was lifted up and pressed into the wall, Marco wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You're about to feel a lot worse, then," he said. he was still hard, still wanted her, and the spark of lust revived itself inside Soliel too because she kissed the ever-living shit out of him, not caring that there were people upstairs would probably end up hearing them. As much as it ate at her that she was having fun while Ace was probably suffering, Marco was right; they could be selfish for once in their lives.

It felt too good to stop, anyhow. And they could worry about the shit hole their lives had become later.

…

Questions, comments, concerns? *hides face in hoodie* I wa blushing the whole time I wrote this. R&R, per favore! Let me know how it was!


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